Vanilla Cake With Raspberry Filling Recipe
This Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Filling recipe features soft, fluffy vanilla cake layers filled with a tangy raspberry compote. The cake is frosted with a smooth buttercream and decorated with fresh raspberries. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and tart for a delicious, elegant dessert.
Equipment
- 2 round 8-inch cake pans
- Mixing bowls (large and medium)
- Electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer)
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Piping bag (optional, for filling)
- Knife or cake slicer (optional, for even layers)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 ⅓ cups cake flour sifted
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- ½ tsp lemon extract
- 1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
For the raspberry filling:
- 2 ½ cups raspberries fresh or frozen
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
For the frosting:
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsp heavy cream as needed
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Prepare the oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans.
Prepare cake batter:
- In a bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light, then add eggs, egg whites, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients alternately with milk until smooth.
Bake cakes:
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.
Make raspberry filling:
- In a saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Let cool completely.
Prepare frosting:
- Beat softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Add heavy cream until desired consistency is reached.
Assemble cake:
- Slice each cake in half horizontally to make four layers. Spread a layer of raspberry filling between the first two layers.
Frost & serve:
- Frost the entire cake with the vanilla buttercream. Decorate with additional fresh raspberries if desired. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure the cakes are completely cooled before assembling; otherwise, the raspberry filling and frosting might melt and make a mess.
- If you don’t have time to make the raspberry filling from scratch, you can use store-bought raspberry jam or preserves as a shortcut.
- You can make the components of the cake (cake layers, raspberry filling, and frosting) a day ahead and store them separately in the fridge. Just assemble the cake on the day you plan to serve it.